"I'm not really that freaked out, it's just the storm surge I'm anxious about", said Chris. More than 100,000 customers were without power in Georgia and over 80,000 in SC.

Last October, Hurricane Matthew knocked out 1.2 million FPL customers as it skirted Florida's east coast without making landfall.

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday" as Irma began its assault on Florida on Sunday morning, Long called the storm a "complex event" in particular because of its movement from the southern part of the state to the north.

Almost 4.5 million homes and businesses across Florida lost power, and utility officials said it will take weeks to restore electricity to everyone.

Irma made landfall in the USA on Sunday at 9:10 a.m. ET at Cudjoe Key, Florida, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said. It battered Florida's lower half, leaving a trail of tornadoes and storm-surge flooding as its core slowly made its way inland.

He said boats were cast ashore, water, sewers and electricity were knocked out, and "I don't think I saw one trailer park where nearly everything wasn't overturned". "It was was like, 'Oh my God, what is going to happen?"' In addition, our customers along the East Coast of Florida should not become complacent because Irma's forecasted track has shifted west.

When Miami chief meteorologist John Morales tweeted that the cone would miss the southern tip of Florida and the Upper Keys, he received some worrying replies asking whether Miami would feel stronger winds than usual.

Dozens of people have been killed and millions evacuated, and the damage from the historically powerful storm will likely be in the hundreds of billions.

"So, usually the eastern side of the storm has winds opposite of the winds aloft, so that's where you have high levels of (vertical) sheer", Ward said. "Let's just say a prayer we hope we make it through".

"We have seen significant numbers of evacuees stopping at our interstate visitor centers and rest areas seeking lodging, and there are few hotel rooms remaining available", said NC Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry. "If you're outside, get inside and shelter in place".

Downed power lines: There are many power lines down, Bowden said, and the main power pole off the island also went down in the storm.

While the projected track showed Irma raking the state's Gulf Coast, forecasters warned that the entire state - including the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people - was in danger because of the sheer size of the storm.

As the storm headed for Georgia, the city of Atlanta - hundreds of kilometres from any coast, almost 1,000km north of the place where Irma first hit the mainland - was placed under its first-ever tropical storm warning.

September 10, 2017Mexico braces itself for impact of Hurricane Katia
MIAMI - Weather forecasters: Katia becomes a tropical storm as it moves further into Mexico, with speeds of 45 miles per hour . Some were newly homeless, while others feared further aftershocks could topple their cracked adobe dwellings.

September 05, 2017NFLPA files lawsuit to vacate Ezekiel Elliott suspension
According to ESPN , Roberts was the only National Football League investigator to interview Tiffany Thompson , the accuser. Kratch's final Giants 53: Does Geno make it? The filing alleges Roberts was purposely left out of the loop.

September 03, 2017National Guard troops being deployed in Texas: governor
Since they started training with the Texas Army National Guard in 1995, Singapore's Air Force wanted to do their part to help. Yet, Abbot said he thinks Congress will come up with more money for Harvey recovery than other recent mega storms.